Meghan Markle then and now: How has she changed body language from actress into Duchess?

Meghan Markle was a successful actress with a £3 million fortune before she met her now-husband Prince Harry.

The LA-native was no stranger to he cameras, even before she married into the Royal Family.

A body language expert revealed how Meghan has changed her red carpet persona since becoming the Duchess of Sussex.

Judi said: “There is a huge evolutionary change between the red carpet Meghan back in the US and the royal Meghan we see today.

“Her red carpet poses were relatively traditional in terms of being struck for effect, showing and defining her as a marketable star.

“Despite her obvious ambition and successes her body language suggests she was uncomfortable back then and even slightly confused with this frosted bubble of fame, throwing up poses that were a mixture of cheesy glamour, classy elegance and even defiantly casual.”

Meghan Markle the actress then

Judi told Express.co.uk that Meghan’s “beauty pageant” poses from her Hollywood past seem unnatural for the privately educated university graduate.

Judi said: “For an active campaigner and feminist this very flirty glamour pose does look counter-intuitive for Meghan, although she seems to be giving it her best shot.”

Meghan adopts the classic sexy red carpet pose with one hand on her hip, showing she is prepared to “play with the press” to further her career.

“Her body is sideways to camera and her back is arched in a typical glamour-based pose, plus she’s dipped her chin to smile at the cameras from behind her hair.

“This ‘pleaser’ pose suggests a woman keen to suppress her natural confidence and self-assurance to play with the press to look sexy and marketable.”

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, now

Now Meghan is a Duchess, the body language expert reveals she has “found her voice.”

Judi said: “Meghan’s body language and her relationship with the photographers seems to have grown and developed into something a lot more congruent and communicative.

“These poses are a cheese-free zone and the new air of sophistication suggests a woman who has found her voice and adopted the role that goes with it.”

However, Meghan has not lost her ability to connect with the camera, and as a Duchess this is an endearing trait.

“Her status levels are higher here, but her eye contact with the cameras can be self-effacing and sometimes fun in a way that suggests raised levels of confidence,” Judi said.

The expert has likened Meghan’s body language to that of her husband’s mother, the late Princess Diana.

“The backward wave is a very Diana moment in terms of Meghan’s body language and it defines her as a woman who blends regal with the kind of rapport with the cameras and fans that could be created in one small look.”

Judi recently analysed Meghan Markle’s curtsey.

She told Express.co.uk that Meghan was keen to please her new family.

She said: “Meghan’s early days curtsey suggests just how much effort she put in to get things right.”

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Who is Meghan Markle? Quick profile

Meghan Markle was born Rachel Meghan Markle, on August 4, 1981 to parents Doria Ragland and father Thomas Markle.

Her father was previously married to Roslyn Loveless and Meghan has two elder half sibling – sister Samantha Markle and brother Thomas Markle Junior.

Actress

Meghan’s first television appearance in the USA was in an episode of the medical drama General Hospital in 2002.

She later moved on to roles in CSI, Without a Trace and Castle along with bit parts in Hollywood films including Get Him to the Greek, Remember Me and Horrible Bosses.

Meghan was also a “briefcase girl” on Deal or No Deal – but her most famous role was as Rachel Zane in legal drama Suits, which launched in 2011.

She was written out in the finale of the seventh series when her character got married, which aired in April 2018 – just before she got married herself.

Charity and humanitarian work

Meghan Markle’s career in television has gone hand-in-hand with her support for causes close to her heart.

She wrote about the stigma around menstrual health in an article for Time magazine and was a Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada – with whom she travelled to Rwanda for the charity’s Clean Water Campaign.

And her commitment to gender equality has seen her work with the United Nations – receiving a standing ovation in 2015 for her speech to mark International Women’s Day.

Relationships

In September 2011, she wed film producer Trevor Engelson, who she began dating in 2004.

But the pair divorced two years later in August 2013, citing irreconcilable difference.

She was in a relationship with celebrity chef Cory Vitiello for almost two years, before they broke it off in 2016 but the two remain good friends.

And in June 2016, she met Prince Harry on a blind date set up by a mutual friend.

Their relationship began in October that year and just over one year later, on November 27, 2017, the pair announced their engagement.

They married on May 19, 2018 at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.

Meghan’s heritage

Some have claimed Meghan Markle is the first mixed-race member of the Royal Family.

Historians are still arguing about Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III.

But Meghan will be the first royal to openly embrace a mixed-race heritage.

She has written about the difficulties of being a biracial actress in Hollywood as she claims she is not black enough for some roles and not white enough for others.